The Shadow of a Shadow
by Yardbird9
Summary: Arnold's band has a special guest singer. Who? Read on. It may surprise you.


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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HEY ARNOLD NOR ANY OF IT CHARACTERS

A/N: I would like each reviewer to decide about the character's age. To me, these are people with a life.

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The band has just finished a resounding song, "She drives me crazy", sung by Gerald. The audience continues applauding, especially the band's girlfriends. Phoebe blushes slightly, but looks at Gerald with praise. Arnold approaches the mic to make an unexpected announcement.

"This was to be our last song. But I just asked the band to play one more number. They only practiced a few times, but have never heard the singer or the lyrics to this song. I have a special guest who will be singing this song. You will be surprised, but I want everyone to listen to the entire song. This is a special moment."

Arnold turns to his band mates, as he begins the intro of the song and stretching the intro, until the singer appears. Arnold, Gerald and Sid's guitars play a melodic acoustic, while Eugene softly plays bass, with Stinky's light drums and Harold's piano accompaniment. As they continue stretching the intro to the song, Arnold casually walks to the back of the stage to the shadow figure.

"It's time to face the music. Don't worry. I'll sing the song with you, until you're ready to solo."

The shadow sighs, as he slowly walks to the front of the stage with uncertainty. Immediately, the audience recognizes him.

"Brainy!" Rhonda says with surprise.

But Nadine quickly quiets her, while the rest of the audience hushes in silence. Brainy picks up the mic, as he gazes out in the audience with the feeling of insecurity and feels the power of the audience. He looks at Arnold for reassurance. Arnold approaches Brainy and stands along side him on the mic.

****

"Oh I dreamed last night, I was hearing, hearing your voice." (Arnold and Brainy look at Helga.)

****

"And the things you said, well they left me, left me no choice" (Helga is touched, but also uncomfortable, since they're singing to her.)

****

"And you told me, we have the power" (Brainy looks at Arnold, indicating he's ready to solo.) 

****

"And you told me, this was the hour" (Arnold moves away from the mic.) 

****

"That you don't know how" (Helga becomes more uncomfortable when Brainy sings alone.)

****

"If I could show you now" (She looks at Arnold with doubt and confusion. Arnold slowly smiles, to let her know that everything is all right.) 

****

"Well I dreamed last night, you were calling, calling my name" (Brainy suddenly notices a shadow in a darken area of the audience.)

****

"You were locked inside of your secrets, calling my name" (He turns his eyes away from Helga and gazes upon the shadow.) 

****

"And you told me, lost was the key" (The shadow's blonde hair appears briefly.)

****

"And you told me how you longed to be free" (Her blue eyes lock onto Brainy eyes, as his eyes lock onto hers.)

****

"That you don't know how" (Brainy's eyes never left the shadow for the remainder of the song.) 

"Oh let me show you now" ****

"Like a bird from a far distant mountain"

"Like a ship from an uncharted sea"

"You were lost in the arms that had found you" 

"Don't be afraid"

"Love's plans are made"

"Oh don't be afraid"

"If there's a time and a place to begin love"

"It must be now, let it go, set it free"

"Oh I dreamed last night, I was hearing, hearing your voice"

Brainy steps back for a moment. Suddenly, the crowd explodes in applause, with cheers and shouts of Brainy's name that he's overwhelmed. Arnold quickly approaches Brainy and escorts him off the stage, giving him a quick exit from the crowd. The girls approach the band members with excitement and wonder.

"Was this a dream, or did I really hear Brainy sing?" Sheena asks with surprise, while she continues catching her breath from the excitement.

"I'm ever so certain that was Brainy." Lila smiles, as she lets out a sigh.

"Who would have thought the singer with the beautiful voice would be the least likely. But he's kinda cute." Rhonda giggles.

"He's a dream, just like his song." Nadine says in amazement.

"He's like a visionary, sweeping across us like a bolt of lightning." Phoebe says in bewilderment, with her eyes sparkling.

Helga stands away from the group deep in thought, as she shakes her head in disbelief.

"I can't believe he did it. What is that Football Head trying to do having Brainy sing?"

Rhonda heard that comment, as she turns to Helga with a smirk.

"Did you notice that Brainy was looking at Helga when he sang?" 

The girls turn and look at Helga with astonishment. Helga quickly replies as a comeback.

"He only looked at me briefly! Then he gazed into that part of the crowd that was not clearly lit!" 

"That's true." Nadine suddenly remembers. The other girls agree. Arnold silently returns and blends into the crowd.

"I wonder who Brainy was looking at?" Sheena asks with wonder. Nobody knew. 

"Well if you ask me, I don't like how you looked at him, Rhonda." Harold says in a jealous tone, as he folds his arms in protest.

Rhonda approaches Harold, as she gently holds his arm.

"Oh Harold, don't worry. All of us were just momentarily infatuated with Brainy, considering the fact that we now know that he can sing beautifully." 

She escorts Harold away from the group. The rest of the group pairs up and departs in separate ways.

"Dang, Miss Lila. You sure had a funny look on your face watching Brainy. Remember that I sang a song for you earlier today at the concert, even if my voice is not that purdy."

"Oh Stinky." Lila reassures a doubtful Stinky. "You sang ever so sweet."

"Gosh." Stinky embarrassing says, as they walk away hand in hand.

"That goes the same for you too, Eugene." Sheena says with encouragement. She places her arm around Eugene, resting it on his shoulder, as they walk away. 

"But Brainy's voice did take your breath away." Eugene replies with a sly grin.

Gerald, along with Phoebe, approaches his best friend with an exasperated look on his face.

"Hey Arnold. Do you and Helga want to come with Phoebe and I and head to Slausens? After what happened tonight, I need a breather." Gerald slowly shakes his head in disbelief.

"You two go ahead." Arnold gives the special handshake to Gerald. "Helga and I are going to hang around here for awhile."

As Gerald and Phoebe begin to depart, Sid and Nadine approach quickly.

"Wait for us, Gerald!" Sid shouts. "We want to join you guys. I need a breather, too." 

Sid is shaking his head in utter confusion.

"Brainy? Singing? No way!" Nadine stands beside Sid and places her hand on his shoulder for support, as she quickly comments.

"It's amazing, isn't it? He was singing to someone in the audience." 

But Sid remains silent, as he continues to shake his head. Nadine breaks away from him silently, as she comes alongside Phoebe. Nadine and Phoebe suddenly begin to giggle, while their heads huddle together. They converse about the historical event that had just occurred. Gerald slowly smiles, as he comes alongside Sid. Gerald puts his arm around his baffled friend's shoulder, as they walk away. Sid's confusing voice gradually becomes silent by the night air.

"I never heard that kid say hardly anything in all the years that we've known him. All he ever does is wheeze very heavily and say only a word or two. And now he sings like an angel! This is crazy!"

Everyone left, except Helga and Arnold. Helga stares at Arnold with mixed emotions, as she tries to figure out what he's trying to do. But her annoyance and anger rise to the surface, since she couldn't stand the suspense.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were going to have Brainy sing? For a moment, he was singing to me!"

Arnold smiles as he moves in close to Helga, putting his arms around her.

"Don't worry. Everything is going as planned."

Helga looks at him with doubt, at first. But she gives in to her boyfriend's confidence. 

"OK, Football Head. Whatever floats your boat. But you better not keep any more secrets from me again. Brainy's eyes were so intense on me."

"He was singing that song to someone else." Arnold says in a calm, secure voice.

"Well don't leave me hanging, who is it?" Helga says with annoyance.

"You will know very soon." Arnold slowly smiles and winks at a bewildered Helga. She begins to fidget, as she rubs her arm, looking at Arnold with a little anxiety. "Relax." Arnold places his hand on her shoulder for support. "I guess this will be a test between us for you to start trusting me."

Helga raises her hand and caresses the side of Arnold's face, as she gently smiles.

"I do."

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Brainy rushes from the concert area and enters the remote area of the park that's deserted. Thoughts were racing in his mind about Helga and his feelings. He also thinks about the shadow, as he remembers her blue eyes staring at him, with an emotion he didn't understand. 

Brainy stiffens a little, as he senses a shadow approaching him from behind, with the sound of a sigh. He suddenly begins to tremble, afraid to turn around.

"Who would do this to me?" He thinks to himself, with doubt and confusion.

The sighs become stronger to the point that he couldn't take it any longer and quickly turns around. He becomes face to face with her in silence. She says nothing, but her blue eyes look into his with affection.

"You!" Brainy says in disbelief. "But why?" He asks, with a wheeze in his voice.

She slowly smiles with gentle reassurance, as her warm blue eyes explain.

"I watched you from afar for a long time. I liked what I saw, but I wanted to know you even more. But it had to be the right moment to give me the courage I needed. I did not have the courage until I heard you sing. And when you looked into my eyes I knew I was ready to reveal myself to you. I could not wait any longer, or I might have been too late to reach you. I saw how Helga waited so long before confessing her feelings to Arnold that she almost missed getting him. I didn't want that to happen to me."

She's about to continue her confession, when they see Arnold and Helga walking across the park together hand in hand. Brainy stares at Helga, as a smile slowly appears on his face. She watches Brainy's expression, while she slowly shakes her head with a warm smile.

"I know you still have feelings for Helga. But now you know someone cares about you, too. I can tell you need more time to think. When you have made your decision, I'll be waiting for you."

She slowly turns and walks away from Brainy. Before she's out of sight, she turns to look at him with a smile, while he looks at her in confusion. But she turns again and walks out of sight.

************************

Arnold and Helga relax on a park bench, as he looks long into her blue eyes.

"You know, Helga. Your book of poems is a treasure full of potential songs. I can't believe that all of these poems are about me. But I'm flattered that you thought so much about me, considering the fact that I personally don't see myself as special."

"You're very special, Arnold." Helga says with a passion, as her hands gently caress his neck. "Even though I have confessed my love to you, and you to me, I'm still a little uncomfortable exposing all of my feelings that I wrote in my book."

Arnold moves slowly and gently kisses Helga lightly on her cheek.

"Don't worry, Helga. As long as you know that I'm yours and you are mine, I can be patient with you. Besides, you have shown your softer side to me and to everyone else. They have seen your change for the better and are showing respect for you." 

Helga is speechless, as she tenderly gazes into her lover's eyes. But all of a sudden, Arnold tenses up a little, as he peers behind Helga. The shadow approaches slowly, and Helga feels it. She tries to control her feelings. But she feels a sudden urge of anger, with her fists clenching up. Helga begins to hear the shadow's wheezing. But the wheezing sounds different, which momentarily confuses her. She's about to turn around, with her fist in the punching mode, when Arnold grabs her hand before she strikes.

"No Helga, don't! It's not what you think!"

Helga turns around quickly, while Arnold holds her hands for protection, as she becomes face to face with Brainy.

"Brainy! What are you doing?" Helga asks in a state of anger and confusion.

Brainy says nothing, but continues wheezing. Arnold releases Helga's hands and smiles.

"It's good to see you again, Brainy." 

Brainy continues to remain silent for a moment, but slowly replies with a wheeze in his voice.

"I came to say good bye. I will not be your shadow any more."

Helga, for a moment, stood in disbelief. But suddenly, she remembers the anger she expressed to Brainy. 

"I'm…sorry, Brainy." Helga slowly says with a little guilt. A single tear falls from her eyes. "Arnold has been so patient with me to bring out my soft side and I thought I had defeated my bullying ways." She sighs, while shaking her head in disbelief. "But then I was about to deck you, if it wasn't for Arnold's quick thinking that stopped me." 

She turns away from Arnold and Brainy to hide her flowing tears. But as she tries to control her tears, she feels a light touch on her shoulder gently turning her around. She thought she would be facing Arnold, but Brainy is in front of her. His eyes look deeply into Helga's eyes. She freezes for a moment, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, Helga finally realizes that she didn't feel Brainy's presence this time, as she always did in the past. He's not the same person, and she senses it. Brainy continues to gently look deeply into her bright, doubtful blue eyes. He slowly moves closer to her, while Helga still freezes a little. But she feels less threaten. He moves even closer and slowly puts his arms around her, to give her a warm embrace. Helga didn't fight it, as her arms hung by her side. She slowly has a look of peace and happiness on her face. Brainy moves and kisses her gently on her cheek, while continuing to give her a warm embrace. Slowly, Helga's arms begin to rise, as they tenderly wrap around Brainy, giving him a loving embrace. Arnold watches with a smile, two completely different people giving each other a warm embrace.

Brainy slowly releases Helga and gently holds her hand, while taking Arnold's hand, joining their hands together. He stands back to witness what he just created. A smile slowly appears on his face, while Helga and Arnold hold hands. 

"You're a very lucky guy, Arnold. Don't let her go, or I may come back." 

"I will never let her go, Brainy." Arnold says with a pledge that he knew would never be broken. His warm green eyes gaze at his one time bully, while her blue eyes match his loving gaze.

"Now I must go and be with my shadow. Someone really cares about me." Brainy says with poise, as he flashes a smile.

He turns and slowly walks away. He slowly disappears into the dark void of the park. Helga stands in bewilderment, as she watches Brainy disappear into the park.

"I wonder who she is?" Helga ponders.

Arnold places his arm around her shoulder.

"Let's take a look."

They walk in the direction of Brainy's exit, but keeping a distance to not be discovered. They spot him walking toward the back of the park. At the end of the park she stands wrap in shadow, with her back facing Brainy. But Brainy went directly to her. She slowly turns and faces him. She warmly smiles, as he approaches her. Arnold and Helga stop walking, once they see her.

"I can't believe it would be her." Helga says in amazement. "You know, Football Head?" Helga gently plays with his flaxen hair. "I still get unexpected surprises. I hope they never stop." She continues watching the couple in awe.

But Arnold smiles, as he watches the couple and says nothing, as if he already knew who it would be. He slips his arm around Helga's waist and silently turns her in the opposite direction, walking away from the couple. As they were walking, Helga turns for a moment, still watching the couple in amazement, but smiles with contentment.

Brainy walks up to the figure. She's out of shadow, in complete view. He stops in front of her. She continues to lovingly smile, as her warm blue eyes affectionately gaze into his eyes. He slowly smiles at her in silence. Brainy finally breaks the silence.

"Gloria I…"

But she places her fingers on his lips and sweetly whispers.

"Don't say another word."

She wraps her arms around Brainy and kisses him gently.

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"I dreamed last night" by Justin Hayward and John Lodge.


End file.
